


Beyond What Lived Beneath

by Winter_Lazuli



Category: Choices: Stories You Play, It Lives (Visual Novels)
Genre: Angst, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Female MC - Freeform, Let Elliot Be Happy, Let Robbie Be Happy, M/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23933542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winter_Lazuli/pseuds/Winter_Lazuli
Summary: Years after the events of the summer that cost him his older sister, Elliot Vance tries to move onto the next and happier stage of his life. However, someone's out to keep a promise that threatens that.
Relationships: Robbie Sutcliffe/Elliot Vance, Tom Sato/Main Character (It Lives Beneath)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

Elliot Vance looked at himself in the mirror, and adjusted his beanie. It was the sole thing he had kept from when he was younger- from when he was 14, he corrected himself. He wished someone was there to talk to him right now. He imagined his grandfather making a dry, joking comment about "dressing to impress someone who he's already impressed over and over" before smiling and saying he was proud of him. A small-yet-sad smile flitted onto his face. He missed his grandfather, who had passed away a few years back. This got him thinking about Robbie. Ten years later, and they were still going strong. He could even say Robbie was his rock through so much. Especially when…

In the back of his mind, another joking comment voiced itself, though this one was more teasing, the tone lighter, before saying that they were extremely proud of him, and how proud their parents would have been too. If he wasn't wrong, he could swear that voice sounded like it was coming from right next to him.

He shook it off, the smile following suit. He said it less than he would care to admit, but he missed his older sister. Despite the fact they weren't full-siblings, she was nothing but a real sister to him. He never considered that they weren't real siblings at any point. Even more so after she died ten years ago.

Thinking about it sent him into another depressive mood. To this day, he had no idea why anyone would have murdered his sister. Especially after how much they had gone through. He wondered why life couldn't give him a break, and nearly broke up with Robbie over grief and despair. It was thanks to said boy that he didn't, with promises of working through it together and being there for him keeping him going. And love. Couldn't forget love.

Speaking of which, his phone was ringing. Elliot's small smile returned at seeing the caller ID, the exact person he was just thinking about. He picked up the phone as he dashed out, aware he was running late, and unaware of the eyes watching him rush out the front door of the cabin from the nearby trees.


	2. Chapter 2

"You think it's a good idea?"

Robbie and Elliot were currently looking through the current guest list. It wasn't very long: Robbie's mom and her partner, their mutual friends from college and a few they've kept in contact with from high school, and a few close friends from Pine Springs. Four of the names stuck out like sore thumbs on the same hand to him at the end of the list.

"We don't have to invite them if it'll be too hard for you guys." Robbie said. "We haven't sent out the invites yet-"

Elliot shook his head. "It's okay. I think we should invite them." He said to his fiancé. "They're some of our closest friends."

Indeed, one of the common threads Elliot and Robbie had with Chief Parker Shaw, Danni Asturias, Imogen Wescott, and Tom Sato was that they all knew Harper, the last of those four more so than just friends. It made his reaction at the funeral all the more troubling, as even with his best friend's help (Andy, Elliot believed), he couldn't get through his eulogy without breaking down into quiet sobs. He wound up being led off the podium with said best friend finishing the eulogy for him. He wasn't the only one who had trouble getting through it, but he clearly had the hardest amongst the four friends who made up the Scooby-Doo gang.

Elliot always believed Tom was the group's Velma, of sorts. He seemed to know the most about what the five had faced together. Chief Shaw had been the most like Fred to him, leading the group and being something of a team dad, not that he was ever called that. But Elliot saw that it was there, just unspoken. He couldn't really figure out which ones Danni and Imogen were. Maybe Imogen was Daphne, solely for the rick kid status and nice-girl attitude despite that. Danni was harder to pin down, and after a while, he gave up trying to match her to anyone.

Harper had been impossible to match up to any of them too. She was a little bit of everyone.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Robbie tapped his shoulder gently. "Elli?"

"Sorry, Rob, just off in my head again."

"I know." He hugged him. "It's okay. I don't blame you."

' _You never do._ ' Elliot thought, bringing a small smile on his face as he returned the hug. He broke the hug as he glanced at one of the coffee cups on the table. "We forgot about the coffee. It might be cold by now."

Robbie pulled away, and chuckled. "Oops. It's okay, we can just get another order. The coffee here is worth it anyways. So we're sending invites out by tomorrow?"

Elliot smiled in appreciation and kissed Robbie's cheek. "Yeah, if the list is good with you. It is to me."

Robbie smiled, and nodded. "Then tomorrow it is!" He laughed as he stood up to get the two of them new coffees.

Sitting alone, Elliot looked out the window of the Compass Café. He noticed someone running off in the distance, though he couldn't make out who it was.

* * *

**AN:** Hi again! I'm happy to bring the next chapter of this out! Still not done writing it but hopefully I'll be able to update this on a more regular basis. Thank you for reading, and see you next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chief of Police gets some mail.

“Chief, you’ve got mail!”

A now older-looking, but by no means old-looking Parker looked up from the most recent report at the rookie at the door. Judging by his smile, it must be good news. He stood up and took the letter as he thanked him, then sat down and opened the envelope.

If anything marked that rookie as “new in town”, this was it.

Everyone who lived in town for at least a year knew something about the Vances and what was now known around Pine Springs as the “Great Flood”. Children and newer residents would only hear rumors, some of them humorous to the chief (for instance, there was _no way_ an owlet picked up an undead jackalope and flew off with it into the sunset). But older residents knew at least one part of the real story. Most people knew about the dam breaking, but a few knew the more fantastic details. Even fewer knew that he was involved in the whole thing. But everyone knew about the unsolved murder of Harper Vance. How she was found in a coffin, drowned. To this day, he couldn’t explain what they did find. There were rumors that the town was currently haunted by her ghost.

He didn’t know if he wanted them to be true or not.

The group had been somewhat splintered after that night. While Imogen was still in town, Danni had left for new job opportunities (something about making it big as a photojournalist). The three of them still kept contact though, even met up every now and then.

Tom was the most distant one of them. While he had contact with him and the girls, it was much less, and it was always short. He rarely joined them whenever they met up. At one point fairly early on, he made it clear that he didn’t hate them. It was just hard to really think about what happened. None of them could blame him. They did find his girlfriend’s corpse after all, and combined with what they learned about what happened to Andy a couple of years before Pine Springs, Tom’s reaction was more justified to them. Still, he tried his best not to ice the trio. 

Still, Elliot and Robbie were friends of his, and it was his town. He figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go to the wedding.

Frankly, he was happy for them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imogen gets her invite.

Imogen had gotten her invitation herself from her mailbox. A whole storm of mixed feelings brewed inside her when she read it. On one hand, she was glad they remembered her, and that they invited her to an occasion for celebration, especially when, secretly, they had been one of her most loved couples for ages. She was ecstatic that Robbie had found someone when she learned the news. When they met, he was a boy constantly cowed by his father. He deserves to be happy.

The thought of Richard Sutcliffe left a bitter taste in Imogen’s mouth, which led to the other hand. While she considered Elliot a friend too, whenever she saw his last name, she couldn’t help but think about Harper. The girl had helped her break out from her own parents, and she was gone just like that. She nibbled on her lip a little as she debated what to do.

When she was ten years younger, she didn’t let a curfew stop her from having fun with her friends. She wasn’t going to let her bad memories stop her now.

Plus, she figured Harper would want her to attend her brother’s wedding.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danni's invite arrives and she considers something.

Danni’s invite came while she was home for a visit.

She felt lucky she had both of her folks still alive. She had been able to help them out so much, which she felt even luckier for.

Unlike one of the people whose wedding invite she was holding.

Before anything else, she shoved the thought of Richard Sutcliffe out of her head. To this day, she found him to be a scumbag, and no one could move her opinion from that. In fact, it was one of the politest ways she could describe him. She was glad Robbie was not under him anymore, and certainly that Richard was out of their lives.

Though, she always had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn’t as dead as they thought ten years ago. He was the first person who came to mind that night, simply because Danni couldn’t think of anyone who would have murdered her friend. She could never prove her theory right or wrong though, and when things piled up, she was forced to drop it.

What the hell, she thought. At least be there for Elliot. It was the least she could do after not seeing them for how long.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final surviving member of Pine Spring's Scooby Doo gang gets his invite.

“Do you think you can handle it?” Andy asked.

Tom held the invite in his hands, reading it over and over. “Y-Yeah. I can definitely handle it.” He assured, though the slight stutter was there.

“Are you sure? I’d go with you but I have a game that day.” A slight twinge of guilt was evident in the former-player-turned-coach’s voice.

Tom nodded. “I can manage. Don’t worry about it. Good luck with the game.” He smiled, and Andy was placated for a bit. He left the house a bit later, and Tom let himself drop to the floor.

He never did get over Harper’s death. Sure, they didn’t know each other that long, but after everything they had gone through together, and all the time they spent together, it felt like forever. It was clear to him that she wanted a future with him. He had hoped it was clear to her that he wanted the same thing.

But some things weren’t meant to be. Why though?

It was just so unfair. She was the last person who deserved the fate she got. She went through so much and that was what she got? How was that any kind of fair?

Tom had promised her he would keep going, because he had a feeling it was what she would have told him. It’s been hard, but thankfully, he had his friends at his side, even if he was more distant than he would have liked. He wasn’t going to miss her brother’s wedding then.

Besides, it had been too long since he saw the other three of their little group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really meant to update this much earlier than now, I'm so sorry! To make up for the absolute radio silence, I've posted three new chapters (since each chapter is short anyway)! If you're still reading this story up until now, thank you so much! I'll try to not make the wait for the next part so long!

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Heya, me again! I'm posting chapter 1 partially as an interest check. I would have wanted to post when I finished writing the whole thing, but after writing 5 chapter in 3 days, I didn't touch the story for a month, and now I'm stuck in one area. So I hope you guys enjoy chapter 1! Kudos and reviews are appreciated.
> 
> Also, this story will be cross-posted on both FF.net and Tumblr! My FF.net is currently Masking What Remains, while my Tumblr is Viosoul.
> 
> On a more serious note, I hope everyone is staying safe during this pandemic. If you ever need to talk to someone, I'm here.
> 
> Thank you guys, and lots of love!


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